Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read more of the allegory of the olive trees. The Lord of the vineyard wanted to pluck off the unfruitful branches and cast them into the fire, but the servant wanted to prune it, dig around it and nourish it a little longer, hopefully giving it a chance to bring forth good fruit. This is like the Lord giving us every opportunity to repent and to become fruitful.   Jacob 5: 26-28 "And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant: Pluck off the branches that have not brought forth good fruit, and cast them into the fire.  But behold, the servant said unto him: Let us prune it, and dig about it, and nourish it a little longer, that perhaps it may bring forth good fruit unto thee, that thou canst lay it up against the season. And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard and the servant of the Lord of the vineyard did nourish all the fruit of the vineyard."

In the Old Testament we read that Solomon finished the temple, using the materials that his father David had provided, and placed the ark of the covenant in the holy of holies.  2 Chronicles 5:1-7 "Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the Lord was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God. Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion.  Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month.  And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark. And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, these did the priests and the Levites bring up. Also king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for multitude. And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims:"

A verse with a thought booklet tells us to always rejoice in the Lord.  Notice that we're not told to rejoice when things are going our way or we're lacking in tribulations.  We're told to always rejoice.  Even during our darkest hours, we still have the Lord, and that alone is reason to rejoice!  Philippians 4:4 " Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice."